Originally posted by RSF77
Something as strong as a belief in god and jesus christ, you must be at least a little skeptical as to which are the exact words of your savior?

Are you certain that every word in the bible you believe is the word of god, is true and 100% accurate?

This is why I am not Christian. The Bible is not the word of God to me. The Bible is a moral story like any other. It tells you the Character of
Christ, that once understood, leads to you finding that character within yourself.

REPARATIVE THERAPY - - notice the dates. Even 20 years ago - - the APA knew Conversion Therapy was harmful and does not change sexual orientation - -
which is a birthright.

In 1990, the American Psychological Association stated that scientific evidence does not show that conversion therapy works and that it can do
more harm than good. Changing one's sexual orientation is not simply a matter of changing one's sexual behavior. It would require altering one's
emotional, romantic and sexual feelings and restructuring one's self-concept and social identity. Although some mental health providers do attempt
sexual orientation conversion, others question the ethics of trying to alter through therapy a trait that is not a disorder and that is extremely
important to an individual's identity.

1996:The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) adopted a policy statement on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual issues. It states, in part:
"Social stigmatization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people is widespread and is a primary motivating factor in leading some people to seek sexual
orientation changes. Sexual orientation conversion therapies assume that homosexual orientation is both pathological and freely chosen. No data
demonstrate that reparative or conversion therapies are effective, and in fact they may be harmful. NASW believes social workers have the
responsibility to clients to explain the prevailing knowledge concerning sexual orientation and the lack of data reporting positive outcomes with
reparative therapy. NASW discourages social workers from providing treatments designed to change sexual orientation or from referring practitioners or
programs that claim to do so.

2000: The board of directors of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) adopted a statement on therapy designed to change a person's
sexual orientation. It said, in part:

"The increase in media campaigns, often coupled with coercive messages from family and community members, has created an environment in which
lesbians and gay men often are pressured to seek reparative or conversion therapies, which cannot and will not change sexual orientation.

Well, my mind, to put it bluntly. I don't believe there is a god in there, I also believe the same is true with everyone, regardless of if they want
to believe it or not.

Life itself is very spectacular, I suppose it could be seen as the universe attempting to understand itself, or god within us. I just don't see how
these ideas relate to stories in the bible or a divine right of any kind. You can relate any known facts to religion in any way to try and make it
more rational, in the end the concept is still nothing more than a means of justification for various things. Do you think that religion and belief in
god is the same today as it was 1500-2000 years ago? Did god change or was it us? It was us.

Well, my mind, to put it bluntly. I don't believe there is a god in there, I also believe the same is true with everyone, regardless of if they want
to believe it or not.

Life itself is very spectacular, I suppose it could be seen as the universe attempting to understand itself, or god within us. I just don't see how
these ideas relate to stories in the bible or a divine right of any kind. You can relate any known facts to religion in any way to try and make it
more rational, in the end the concept is still nothing more than a means of justification for various things. Do you think that religion and belief in
god is the same today as it was 1500-2000 years ago? Did god change or was it us? It was us.

It's all good my friend. What ever you call what is "in there" is between you and what is "in there". I have several threads on the subject that
may clarify my position. To go into it here would be to seriously derail a thread I have already written off.

You raise excellent questions and make valid points. I'll keep my eye open for you in other threads.

I'd gladly continue the discussion there. I am simply trying to get away from this topic. It has gotten to the point of endlessly circling, and there
are certainly better things to discuss than sexual persuasions, IMO.

Originally posted by Akragon
I would say his words are 100% accurate, regardless of who wrote them.

So it doesn't matter who wrote, if I wrote the same text and the bible had never existed as it is known today, would you trust it as divine word?

Someone had to first tell you about your beliefs for you to realize they exist.

We will never see eye to eye, I cannot take something on faith. To me that is a faulty process of determining the reality of the subject, especially
one as sensitive as this to so many people.

If you wrote something that promoted love and respect towards all, yes i would believe it....now if you practice what you wrote....thats a different
story.

No one told me about my beliefs my friend... Several years back i had no beliefs...even an athiest. But i felt something was missing... so i went on
a quest for truth...and no matter where i looked, truth is found in love.

You don't have to believe me nor do you have to agree, but the fact remains... the only absolute in this life is love...and in love there is
truth.

Wal-Mart did not violate an employee's civil rights when the company fired her for making antigay comments to fellow worker, a federal appeals court
ruled last week.

Tanisha Matthews was working as an overnight stocker from 1996 to 2005 in an Illinois Wal-Mart. One night during a break, the Apostolic Christian
engaged with other workers about homosexuality, debating whether LGBT people were headed to Hell, according toEdge Chicago. Several witnesses said
Matthews told a lesbian employee, Amy, that she was going to Hell because God does not accept gay people.

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